Shishito Peppers

Shishito peppers look like green chili peppers, but they are sweet peppers. I am so happy to receive those Japanese vegetables from the CSA.

When I was a child, approximately 10% of shishito peppers were hot like green chili peppers. It seems that when stress hormones are stored in shishito peppers, due to weather or lack of nutrients, they increase spiciness. Problem was that there was no way of identifying the hot ones without eating them.

Recent improvements made it possible to eliminate hot shishito peppers from growing among the mild ones. I received several deliveries of shishitos this year from CSA, but I haven’t had a single hot one.

Shishitos can be grilled, sauteed, fried or stewed, but I like them grilled and drop just a little bit of soy sauce before eating it. Make sure to puncture or slit them with a knife before grilling to prevent them from exploding. Tiny seeds are not hot and edible. Here is a recipe of grilled shishito peppers.